I'm Tired. This Rambles. You've Been Warned.
So it's 3:30 here and I can't sleep. You know what that means? Random post that will probably not make sense in the morning. And awwaaaaay we go!
So I started my new old job at Pizza Hut. It's new because it's a different Pizza Hut, the one in Finksburg. It's old because it's still Pizza Hut where I worked for two years before heading to PA. It's new because now I'm waiting tables and eventually learning to run shift. It's old because my manager, assistant manager and one of the shift leaders I previously worked with in Eldersburg. So it's like Eldersburg north. Except the Eldersburg Pizza Hut is now a Bistro so the Pizza Hut I'm working at now is not like the Pizza Hut I worked at before because the Bistro has less pizza and more pastas and sandwiches. Haven't had them before, but I'm sure they are good. I'm waiting for someone to come visit then I can take them out for a very, um, special dinner at the Bistro (and still get the 20% off. I'm a cheapskate, I know.)
But back to the waiting of the tables. Or should I say the 'taking care of our customers.' We should start calling them guests. Because really, that is what they are. We are inviting them in with invitations (ads) and greeting them like welcomed guests into our stores. Then we make them food and engage in some great conversations. So they are guests. Kind of. But anyway, I am waiting tables for the Finksburg Pizza Hut, and you know what, I enjoy it. Of course this is gonna jinx me, crap.
But this waiting experience is much better than my one at Eldersburg (you know, the one where I refused to wait tables again and only cooked). And I don't know why. I was kinda hesitant to accept the job as a wait, but I needed a job and figured I could weasel my way back into cooking again. Except I didn't count on Finksburg having a mass shortage of wait staff. So I'm waiting tables and making much, much better money than Eldersburg. In fact, I'm making enough money to buy not one, but two girlie drinks this weekend.
But in all seriousness, my wallet is full of ones and it makes me look rich. So full in fact, I had to take some of the money out and place it in a safe place that is not the bank. (Why not the bank, well that's an interesting story. I think I'll tell it. Right. Now.
So I was going to bank and I had a small talk relationship with the teller. She's cute and I thought she was 22. Then I found out she is divorced and has two kids. Then I told her that I was not going to be there as often as now I would get paid every two weeks instead of every week. She said I could still come in, you know, with the tips that I get. And I thought that was a great idea. And before I left and before she went to Arby's for lunch she gave me a hug. And I haven't been there since. But it's only because it's been a week since I was last in there and I haven't had time to go. Well I have, it's just I don't want to go on Fridays because it's always busy in there with people depositing their pay checks for the weekend. Kinda like what I did. So I haven't been there since then, although I will go there soon. I think. But I did find something out before she went to lunch that fateful day. I found out she's 27. It's amazing. She doesn't look 27. And I told her that. Kinda because she honestly doesn't look 27 and kinda because Shand told me to say that because it would make her feel better. I think it did. I think. But only because I don't know what girls think. I'd quote a very smart man, Marten Reed, on this, but I don't know the exact quote and I don't feel like looking for it. But it goes something like this: When asked how he would know if a woman was interested in him, he replied "Short of her getting on my lap and humping me? Nothing." And if he didn't say that then I said it. And it's true. So I don't know what she was thinking or what she's thinking or the like. But I found out she's 27 and has two kids and the assistant manager likes taking the deposit over there and talking to her and my manager thought us two would fight over being able to make the deposit. But since I'm gonna be running shift I'll get to take the deposit over there and then we shall see what happens. Or I'll just deposit my tips and I'll see what happens then also. Either way something is gonna happen and I'm gonna have tips.
And speaking of tips, I'm making more of them and have more bills in my billfold. And I don't know why. Like on Friday I was working pre-close and I had over 50 dollars in tips for the night so far when the closer had only 25 dollars. It was weird because she was a girl and girls always make the better tips. Always. So I was feeling pretty good about the tips I was making and the fact I'm actually talking to people around my age. Ok, actually they are younger than me, young like they can't buy cigarettes, but they are still closer in age to me than my previous co-workers. Although I do find it a bit odd that if you are younger than 18 you have to take a 30 minute break. In fact the computer makes you take a break. And if you try and log back in before 30 minutes is up it won't allow you. Where the hell were these computers when I was under 18? But one of the girls I work with won't turn 18 for another 10 months or so (I am not counting, she told me right out when I told her I was turning 21 soon) and has to take the breaks by law. Doesn't matter that she can give birth and take care of her baby on her own, but when she is working she has to take a break. Something tells me the baby doesn't offer the same courtesy. It's not a knock on her, I just think it's rather funny. Hilarious even.
So I'm making good tips on Friday night. Probably the highest total of any of the 4 waits. Yep, 4 waits on tables that Friday night. Not like the 9 or so we had on at Eldersburg. And the interesting part was there was an equal number of guys and girls waiting tables. That never happened at Eldersburg. It was a good day when there was one male wait, nevermind 2. And yes, I am complaining.
So at the end of the night I was just playing with the computer. We got a new computer system for Pizza Hut. It's pretty cool, much easier (in a teamwork stand point) than the tickets with the old system. This way you can place a salad order in and instead of telling someone the order it goes to a screen above the salad bar. This way, instead of me begging someone to make a salad for me because I am swamped, a wait can take a look at the screen when they don't have anything to do and start making the salad the way I typed it in. Great feature. That saved my butt a few times Friday night, and I made sure to return the favor. Of course it doesn't help that it only goes by initials of the wait and I was working with a Steve, a Stephanie and a Sarah. I need to learn some last names.
Also, the computer system is bad because I still have to write the order at the table on a piece of paper, then walk to the computer terminal and type it in. Given the size and complexity of the order it can take upwards of 5 minutes to complete the entire order and get it in the system. Doesn't sound too bad, except we have a 20 minute guarantee with all dine in orders. If it isn't out to the table in 20 minutes or less than it's half off the bill. And I get a lashing for each dollar they save. At least that's what I'm told. So I take the order at the table and tell them the time on the clock in the dining room. I then take the ticket back, type it in and hit 'Enter.' Once I hit 'Enter' the order is sent to Make Table and the Salad Bar. However, only when it's entered is the time set in the computer. So when I 'Enter' the order Make table thinks they have 20 minutes to make the order and get it out to me. But in actuality they only have 15 minutes. And with a 10 minute oven, that would be cutting it close on a busy night with lots of other orders to worry about. So I think we should get a palm pilot like device where I can type the order in at the table and 'Enter' it as I'm telling them the time. Then I get the order the full 20 minutes.
Except when I tell them the time and I write it down and all of a sudden the time changes (funny how it keeps on marching) and then the kids at the table (the same ones that wrote me a love note and left it with the manager so I would have to read it to the manager and the other waits if I wanted to get my credit card tips) tell me about the time change and that means they now have 19 minutes or the bill is half off. Luckily I had them mesmerized with my awesome serving skills that they didn't bother to look at the time when I brought the pizzas because I'm pretty sure that one was a 20 minuter-plus. So I got lucky on that one. And the one where the grandmother scolded the little girl for keeping track of the time when I was one minute late with their food and she pointed it out. I would have given them the half off, but the grandmother wouldn't allow me. I didn't feel bad for me, only for the little girl. She looked thoroughly frightened. She probably won't ever fight to get anything on time or early the rest of her life because of one traumatic experience at Pizza Hut. And of course I blame the grandmother. I was gonna give them the bill half off. I know the procedure, I had a few of them in Eldersburg. Ok, more than a few. I think that's why they went to Bistro, now they don't have the 20 minute deal, and the food take FOREVER long to get there. Apparently. I haven't been there yet to order food.
But there was one thing that was good with the tickets that kinda is good with the computers but not really. With the tickets under the old system I had to gather all the tickets and add up all the bills. Then I had to staple them all together with the total and my tips for the night. Doing that helped the manager who was closing, helped the IRS and me to figure out how much I was making on average in tips compared to my gross. Was I making 15%? Less? More? This was important information. Information I don't get with the computers because I don't have to do that before I log out. All I have to do is log out, tell them if I had a meal or not and enter my total in tips. Easy, but I have no idea how I am doing on the night compared to the bills. I can only go off of what the other waits have done. Sure, I made more than the others, but is that because I was a better wait or because I had more tables? These things I need to know. If only to brag.
So I was supposed to be learning how to close, and instead I was just messing with the reports and tools the computer does that makes the closing manager's life much easier. The closer had no idea what some of the reports were, so I decided to read a few. And read I did. And I found the one I was looking for. It gave me a reading of what my tables paid for their meals, but it gave me so much more. It gave me how much everyone else grossed (but not their tips) and how much each one grossed in carry out orders. But I was only interested in my dine ins. And so I saw my list. It gave me my gross, and so much more. It told me what time I 'Entered' the order, and what time they were rung up. It gave me the total time each table was there, the average time my tables were in the dining room and the number of guests at each table. It also told me the total tables I had and the total persons all night I waited on (except that number was skewed as my last table had 45 people due to a typing error on my part). It told me the total bill for each table, if they used coupons and the amount they paid for the bill if they did use coupons. The average amount spent by my guests and probably a few other note worthy facts that are so note worthy that I forgot them. All I cared about was the gross of all the bills combined and the net of all the bills combined (after coupons).
And behold, they were there. And I was happy. And I rejoiced. So I did a few calculations on the number cruncher, and I became unhappy. See, the manager that I had worked with in Eldersburg had told me I was making good tips for Eldersburg and especially for Finksburg. And that made me feel good and probably inflated my ego a bit. So this is why I was looking for the gross, just to see what I was doing in regards to my tips. But perhaps I was being too greedy. For gross, I made 19% in tips. For net I made 21%. And as I write it now I don't feel as bad, but at the time it was a shock. I know the average for tips is 15% and I am doing above average service, but I was hoping for higher than 20% gross. Unless of course we did the net total in Eldersburg, and then I have nothing to worry about. But I think we did gross and that would put me not so much over the average, although it is still above my results as a wait in Eldersburg. So I guess all is not lost. And I am having fun. Knock on wood.
And it took me an hour to write over 2500 words. I know, I'm tired, this doesn't make sense and my hands are tired, but I had to check out the words count. If this was a paper, it would put me past the half way point on the fourth page. You can't beat that with a 7 foot 2 inch stick.
Now it's time to go to sleep. Perhaps I'll check out the new gym opening up around her. I think it's time to get back to working out. Here's to hoping they have a two month plan.
Also, just so she doesn't feel left out. My ankles (and knees) are finally starting to go back to not being thick. I'm not used to all this standing and walking. Or maybe I just need custom shoe inserts. Boo for thick ankles.
And I remembered the spell checker. I am not, however, going to guarantee it's accuracy. Because we all make mistakes.
So I started my new old job at Pizza Hut. It's new because it's a different Pizza Hut, the one in Finksburg. It's old because it's still Pizza Hut where I worked for two years before heading to PA. It's new because now I'm waiting tables and eventually learning to run shift. It's old because my manager, assistant manager and one of the shift leaders I previously worked with in Eldersburg. So it's like Eldersburg north. Except the Eldersburg Pizza Hut is now a Bistro so the Pizza Hut I'm working at now is not like the Pizza Hut I worked at before because the Bistro has less pizza and more pastas and sandwiches. Haven't had them before, but I'm sure they are good. I'm waiting for someone to come visit then I can take them out for a very, um, special dinner at the Bistro (and still get the 20% off. I'm a cheapskate, I know.)
But back to the waiting of the tables. Or should I say the 'taking care of our customers.' We should start calling them guests. Because really, that is what they are. We are inviting them in with invitations (ads) and greeting them like welcomed guests into our stores. Then we make them food and engage in some great conversations. So they are guests. Kind of. But anyway, I am waiting tables for the Finksburg Pizza Hut, and you know what, I enjoy it. Of course this is gonna jinx me, crap.
But this waiting experience is much better than my one at Eldersburg (you know, the one where I refused to wait tables again and only cooked). And I don't know why. I was kinda hesitant to accept the job as a wait, but I needed a job and figured I could weasel my way back into cooking again. Except I didn't count on Finksburg having a mass shortage of wait staff. So I'm waiting tables and making much, much better money than Eldersburg. In fact, I'm making enough money to buy not one, but two girlie drinks this weekend.
But in all seriousness, my wallet is full of ones and it makes me look rich. So full in fact, I had to take some of the money out and place it in a safe place that is not the bank. (Why not the bank, well that's an interesting story. I think I'll tell it. Right. Now.
So I was going to bank and I had a small talk relationship with the teller. She's cute and I thought she was 22. Then I found out she is divorced and has two kids. Then I told her that I was not going to be there as often as now I would get paid every two weeks instead of every week. She said I could still come in, you know, with the tips that I get. And I thought that was a great idea. And before I left and before she went to Arby's for lunch she gave me a hug. And I haven't been there since. But it's only because it's been a week since I was last in there and I haven't had time to go. Well I have, it's just I don't want to go on Fridays because it's always busy in there with people depositing their pay checks for the weekend. Kinda like what I did. So I haven't been there since then, although I will go there soon. I think. But I did find something out before she went to lunch that fateful day. I found out she's 27. It's amazing. She doesn't look 27. And I told her that. Kinda because she honestly doesn't look 27 and kinda because Shand told me to say that because it would make her feel better. I think it did. I think. But only because I don't know what girls think. I'd quote a very smart man, Marten Reed, on this, but I don't know the exact quote and I don't feel like looking for it. But it goes something like this: When asked how he would know if a woman was interested in him, he replied "Short of her getting on my lap and humping me? Nothing." And if he didn't say that then I said it. And it's true. So I don't know what she was thinking or what she's thinking or the like. But I found out she's 27 and has two kids and the assistant manager likes taking the deposit over there and talking to her and my manager thought us two would fight over being able to make the deposit. But since I'm gonna be running shift I'll get to take the deposit over there and then we shall see what happens. Or I'll just deposit my tips and I'll see what happens then also. Either way something is gonna happen and I'm gonna have tips.
And speaking of tips, I'm making more of them and have more bills in my billfold. And I don't know why. Like on Friday I was working pre-close and I had over 50 dollars in tips for the night so far when the closer had only 25 dollars. It was weird because she was a girl and girls always make the better tips. Always. So I was feeling pretty good about the tips I was making and the fact I'm actually talking to people around my age. Ok, actually they are younger than me, young like they can't buy cigarettes, but they are still closer in age to me than my previous co-workers. Although I do find it a bit odd that if you are younger than 18 you have to take a 30 minute break. In fact the computer makes you take a break. And if you try and log back in before 30 minutes is up it won't allow you. Where the hell were these computers when I was under 18? But one of the girls I work with won't turn 18 for another 10 months or so (I am not counting, she told me right out when I told her I was turning 21 soon) and has to take the breaks by law. Doesn't matter that she can give birth and take care of her baby on her own, but when she is working she has to take a break. Something tells me the baby doesn't offer the same courtesy. It's not a knock on her, I just think it's rather funny. Hilarious even.
So I'm making good tips on Friday night. Probably the highest total of any of the 4 waits. Yep, 4 waits on tables that Friday night. Not like the 9 or so we had on at Eldersburg. And the interesting part was there was an equal number of guys and girls waiting tables. That never happened at Eldersburg. It was a good day when there was one male wait, nevermind 2. And yes, I am complaining.
So at the end of the night I was just playing with the computer. We got a new computer system for Pizza Hut. It's pretty cool, much easier (in a teamwork stand point) than the tickets with the old system. This way you can place a salad order in and instead of telling someone the order it goes to a screen above the salad bar. This way, instead of me begging someone to make a salad for me because I am swamped, a wait can take a look at the screen when they don't have anything to do and start making the salad the way I typed it in. Great feature. That saved my butt a few times Friday night, and I made sure to return the favor. Of course it doesn't help that it only goes by initials of the wait and I was working with a Steve, a Stephanie and a Sarah. I need to learn some last names.
Also, the computer system is bad because I still have to write the order at the table on a piece of paper, then walk to the computer terminal and type it in. Given the size and complexity of the order it can take upwards of 5 minutes to complete the entire order and get it in the system. Doesn't sound too bad, except we have a 20 minute guarantee with all dine in orders. If it isn't out to the table in 20 minutes or less than it's half off the bill. And I get a lashing for each dollar they save. At least that's what I'm told. So I take the order at the table and tell them the time on the clock in the dining room. I then take the ticket back, type it in and hit 'Enter.' Once I hit 'Enter' the order is sent to Make Table and the Salad Bar. However, only when it's entered is the time set in the computer. So when I 'Enter' the order Make table thinks they have 20 minutes to make the order and get it out to me. But in actuality they only have 15 minutes. And with a 10 minute oven, that would be cutting it close on a busy night with lots of other orders to worry about. So I think we should get a palm pilot like device where I can type the order in at the table and 'Enter' it as I'm telling them the time. Then I get the order the full 20 minutes.
Except when I tell them the time and I write it down and all of a sudden the time changes (funny how it keeps on marching) and then the kids at the table (the same ones that wrote me a love note and left it with the manager so I would have to read it to the manager and the other waits if I wanted to get my credit card tips) tell me about the time change and that means they now have 19 minutes or the bill is half off. Luckily I had them mesmerized with my awesome serving skills that they didn't bother to look at the time when I brought the pizzas because I'm pretty sure that one was a 20 minuter-plus. So I got lucky on that one. And the one where the grandmother scolded the little girl for keeping track of the time when I was one minute late with their food and she pointed it out. I would have given them the half off, but the grandmother wouldn't allow me. I didn't feel bad for me, only for the little girl. She looked thoroughly frightened. She probably won't ever fight to get anything on time or early the rest of her life because of one traumatic experience at Pizza Hut. And of course I blame the grandmother. I was gonna give them the bill half off. I know the procedure, I had a few of them in Eldersburg. Ok, more than a few. I think that's why they went to Bistro, now they don't have the 20 minute deal, and the food take FOREVER long to get there. Apparently. I haven't been there yet to order food.
But there was one thing that was good with the tickets that kinda is good with the computers but not really. With the tickets under the old system I had to gather all the tickets and add up all the bills. Then I had to staple them all together with the total and my tips for the night. Doing that helped the manager who was closing, helped the IRS and me to figure out how much I was making on average in tips compared to my gross. Was I making 15%? Less? More? This was important information. Information I don't get with the computers because I don't have to do that before I log out. All I have to do is log out, tell them if I had a meal or not and enter my total in tips. Easy, but I have no idea how I am doing on the night compared to the bills. I can only go off of what the other waits have done. Sure, I made more than the others, but is that because I was a better wait or because I had more tables? These things I need to know. If only to brag.
So I was supposed to be learning how to close, and instead I was just messing with the reports and tools the computer does that makes the closing manager's life much easier. The closer had no idea what some of the reports were, so I decided to read a few. And read I did. And I found the one I was looking for. It gave me a reading of what my tables paid for their meals, but it gave me so much more. It gave me how much everyone else grossed (but not their tips) and how much each one grossed in carry out orders. But I was only interested in my dine ins. And so I saw my list. It gave me my gross, and so much more. It told me what time I 'Entered' the order, and what time they were rung up. It gave me the total time each table was there, the average time my tables were in the dining room and the number of guests at each table. It also told me the total tables I had and the total persons all night I waited on (except that number was skewed as my last table had 45 people due to a typing error on my part). It told me the total bill for each table, if they used coupons and the amount they paid for the bill if they did use coupons. The average amount spent by my guests and probably a few other note worthy facts that are so note worthy that I forgot them. All I cared about was the gross of all the bills combined and the net of all the bills combined (after coupons).
And behold, they were there. And I was happy. And I rejoiced. So I did a few calculations on the number cruncher, and I became unhappy. See, the manager that I had worked with in Eldersburg had told me I was making good tips for Eldersburg and especially for Finksburg. And that made me feel good and probably inflated my ego a bit. So this is why I was looking for the gross, just to see what I was doing in regards to my tips. But perhaps I was being too greedy. For gross, I made 19% in tips. For net I made 21%. And as I write it now I don't feel as bad, but at the time it was a shock. I know the average for tips is 15% and I am doing above average service, but I was hoping for higher than 20% gross. Unless of course we did the net total in Eldersburg, and then I have nothing to worry about. But I think we did gross and that would put me not so much over the average, although it is still above my results as a wait in Eldersburg. So I guess all is not lost. And I am having fun. Knock on wood.
And it took me an hour to write over 2500 words. I know, I'm tired, this doesn't make sense and my hands are tired, but I had to check out the words count. If this was a paper, it would put me past the half way point on the fourth page. You can't beat that with a 7 foot 2 inch stick.
Now it's time to go to sleep. Perhaps I'll check out the new gym opening up around her. I think it's time to get back to working out. Here's to hoping they have a two month plan.
Also, just so she doesn't feel left out. My ankles (and knees) are finally starting to go back to not being thick. I'm not used to all this standing and walking. Or maybe I just need custom shoe inserts. Boo for thick ankles.
And I remembered the spell checker. I am not, however, going to guarantee it's accuracy. Because we all make mistakes.
posted by Timchula at 03:30
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